CN114269649A

CN114269649A - Box template folding process and mechanism

Info

Publication number: CN114269649A
Application number: CN201980037603.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: D·M·普罗沃斯特; H·G·德迪克尔; D·D·R·万斯汀基斯特; S·A·M-L·哈默林科
Original assignee: Avicon Co
Current assignee: Avicon Co
Priority date: 2018-04-05
Filing date: 2019-04-05
Publication date: 2022-04-01
Anticipated expiration: 2039-04-05
Also published as: JP2024023952A; JP7413476B2; US20240124174A1; US11305903B2; CA3096006A1; US20220153462A1; JP2021521067A; WO2019193555A1; US20190308761A1; CN114269649B; AU2019248877A1; JP7201787B2; EP3759022A1; RU2021126804A; CN116902307A; CA3096006C; US11780626B2; RU2756244C1; CA3184517A1; JP2022185069A

Abstract

An apparatus and method for forming a box from a stencil blank comprising: the blank is advanced on the drive line while one or more side panel fingers raise and lower the respective side panels of the blank in an alternating manner. One or more brackets hold the side plates in place as the blank moves forward on the drive line. The raised and lowered side panels reinforce the respective panels from which they extend. During the folding and bending steps of the box-forming process, the reinforced panel tends to bend along false creases extending transversely across the blank.

Description

Box template folding process and mechanism

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims priority from united states patent application serial No. 16/375,588 entitled "Box Template Folding Process and mechanism" filed on 4/2019, which claims priority and benefit from united states patent application serial No. 62/729,766 entitled "Box Template Folding Process and mechanism" filed on 11/9/2018, patent application No. 2018/05231 entitled "Folding Sequence" filed on 5/4/2018, and patent application No. 2018/05698 entitled "Box Template Folding Process and mechanism" filed on 10/2018, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to packaging machines. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for forming customized packaging boxes from a sheet of material.

Background

Sales and services of goods via the internet have increased dramatically in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue. Most online orders are shipped to customers, requiring that most products purchased online be packaged for shipment. Due to the wide range of products ordered, packaging can present many challenges to manufacturers and distributors. For example, while products of all shapes and sizes need to be packaged and delivered to customers, manufacturers and/or distributors may only have a limited variety of box sizes to accommodate such products.

As a result, products are often placed in oversized boxes. The use of oversized boxes uses additional packaging material, which is both wasteful and expensive. In addition, the packaging box, which is too large for the product being shipped, results in wasted space inside the box and around the product. This additional space may cause the product to shift, bounce, or otherwise move back and forth in the box during shipping, which results in damage to the product during shipping. In many cases, a filler material is placed around the product inside the box to prevent the product from being pushed too far. However, the additional filling material costs money and time.

There are packaging machines that are capable of customizing packaging boxes to a particular product size to limit or eliminate some of the challenges described above. In such machines, the box is formed from a sheet fed into the machine which cuts the sheet into a box template (or "blank"). The blank is then folded into a box.

The sheet may be folded back and forth in alternating sections into a stack before being formed into a box template. In this way, the sheet material includes between the sections indentations or fold lines extending across the material. Because of these indentations or fold lines, forming a blank using fan-folded material (e.g., a sheet that has been folded back and forth) can be problematic. For example, a blank formed from a fan folded material (fanfold material) often extends across multiple sections of the fan folded material. Thus, blanks made from fan-folded material often have creases or fold lines extending across one or more panels, tabs (tabs), or other sections of the blank. These fan fold scores or fold lines extending across the blank are referred to as "false scores" because they may not fall directly on the blank where the blank should be folded. That is, packaging machines typically bend the blank at the boundaries between the panels and tabs to form the box, while the false scores are not necessarily aligned with those boundaries. As such, false indentations create a point of weakness in the blank material that can cause certain panels or tabs of the blank to collapse, buckle, tear, or otherwise fail within the packaging machine during a folding or other box folding process.

The difficulties presented by false scores extending across the blank are exacerbated when the task of the packaging machine is to form various customizable box sizes from a common fan-folded material as described above. In such cases, depending on the size and configuration of the blank, which may vary depending on the size of the product being packaged, false creases may appear at any point along the length of the blank extending across the blank. In essence, the location of false indentations on a blank may vary from one blank to the next. This variability makes it difficult for manufacturers and/or distributors to adjust the packaging machine to overcome the difficulty of having false indentations in the customizable package formation process.

Accordingly, there are a number of problems in the art that need to be solved. The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is provided merely to illustrate one exemplary technical field in which some embodiments described herein may be practiced.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure relates to packaging machines. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for forming a customized packaging box from a universal fan-folded material. For example, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of forming a box from a blank includes providing the blank on a drive line (drive line). The blank may comprise a plurality of panels including a front guide panel, a middle panel, a bottom panel, a tail panel, and a glue tab (glue tab) extending from the tail panel. Each panel has one or more side flaps extending therefrom. In such embodiments, the method further includes moving the blank forward on the drive line and folding the side flaps up and down in an alternating manner.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for forming a carton includes providing a blank on a drive line and advancing the blank on the drive line. While the blank is moving forward on the drive line, the various side flaps of the blank are moved up and down in an alternating manner to reinforce the panel from which they extend. In addition, the bracket holds the side flaps that have been folded upwardly in position and holds the bottom panel of the blank in place while adjacent panels of the blank are folded up and down to form the back, front and top surfaces of the box. In such embodiments, the bottom leading corner of the bracket is chamfered so that the leading panel of the blank may be partially folded before the leading panel completely passes the leading edge of the bracket.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for forming a carton includes providing a blank on a drive line and advancing the blank on the drive line. While the blank is moving forward on the drive line, the various side flaps of the blank are moved up and down in an alternating manner to reinforce the panel from which they extend. In such embodiments, the bracket holds in place the side flaps that have been folded upwardly and holds the bottom panel of the blank down while adjacent panels of the blank are folded up and down to form the back, front and top surfaces of the box. In addition, the scraper arm folds the glue tab downwards and the leading edge of the scraper comes into contact with the borders of the two front guides of the blank. In this way, the two front guides are folded at the border, forming the top and front faces of the box.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for forming a carton includes providing a blank on a drive line and advancing the blank on the drive line. While the blank is moving forward on the drive line, the various side flaps of the blank are moved up and down in an alternating manner to reinforce the panel from which they extend. In addition, the bracket holds the side flaps that have been folded upwardly in place and holds the bottom panel of the blank down while adjacent panels of the blank are folded up and down to form the back, front and top surfaces of the box.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of forming a box from a blank includes providing a blank on a drive line. The blank may comprise a plurality of panels including a front guide panel, a middle panel, a bottom panel, a tail panel, and a glue tab extending from the tail panel. Each panel has one or more side flaps extending therefrom. In such embodiments, the method includes moving the blank forward on the drive line and folding the side flaps up and down in an alternating manner. The bracket holds the folded side flaps in place while the blank is moved forward on the drive line. As the blank continues to move forward, the two front guides and the two end guides are folded up and down to form the top surface, the front surface, the rear surface and the glue tab surface of the box, respectively. Further, in such embodiments, one or more trailing alignment arms (square arms) and one or more leading alignment arms maintain the bottom and top lead angles of the cassette at a fixed angle.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a cassette molding machine includes a drive line. The drive line has a longitudinal direction and a drive mechanism configured to convey the blanks forward on the drive line. The box forming machine also includes one or more fingers and one or more brackets. The fingers are configured to lift and push the side flaps in an alternating manner as the blank moves forward on the drive line. The one or more brackets are configured to hold the side flaps of the blank in place as the blank is moved forward on the drive line.

In one embodiment, a method of folding a box from a blank is performed on a feed line having an advancing direction of travel. The method includes supplying the blanks on a feed line such that side panels of the blanks extend transverse to the feed line. One or more articles are positioned on the intermediate panel of the blank. Advancing the blank along with the one or more articles along a feed line. The side panels placed along the diagonal of the middle panel are folded upward. The back panel is folded up and held in place as the back wall of the box. The front panel is folded upwards by moving the arm upwards during the forward movement of the blank. Folding the front panel upward includes folding the front panel from a first position below the feed line to a second position above the box such that the box advances below the upwardly moving arm to form a front wall and an upper wall of the box with the front panel.

In one embodiment, an apparatus is provided for folding a box from a blank while the blank is advanced in a direction of travel along a feed line. The device includes: a supply section for supplying blanks on a feed line such that side panels of the blanks extend transversely to the feed line. The device also includes: a positioning section for positioning one or more articles on the intermediate panel of the blank. The device also includes: a feeding section for advancing the blank along with the one or more articles along a feed line. The first folding section of the device is configured for folding up the side panels placed along the diagonal of the middle panel. The second folding section of the device is configured for folding the panel upward and holding it in place as the back wall of the box. The third folding section of the apparatus is configured for folding the front panel upwardly by moving the arm upwardly from a first position below the feed line to a second position above the cassette so that the cassette is located below the upwardly moving arm, thereby forming the front and upper walls of the cassette with the front panel.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Additional features and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure. These and other features will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure.

Drawings

To further clarify the above and other advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only illustrative embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary box forming machine and system, including a feed system, a blank cutter, a product supply machine, and a box forming machine;

FIG. 2 shows a close-up view of the system shown in FIG. 1, including a product supply machine and a box forming machine;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary blank formed by a blank-forming machine, including a plurality of panels, side flaps, and glue tabs;

FIG. 4 shows the drive line of the box forming machine (which conveys the blanks forward along the conveyor) and the plurality of arms, brackets and side flap fingers;

FIG. 5 shows the blank further advancing along the drive line, the side flap fingers folding the first set of side flaps downwardly as the blank moves forward on the drive line;

FIG. 6 shows the blank further advanced along the drive line, with the side flap fingers folding the set of side panels upward as the blank moves forward on the drive line;

FIG. 7 shows the blank further advanced along the drive line, as the blank moves forward on the drive line, the side flaps are folded up and down in an alternating manner and the various panels and side flaps are held in place by the brackets;

FIG. 8 shows an arm of the box forming machine lifting a sheet of blanks to form front and rear faces of a box;

figures 9 and 10 show the drive line of the box forming machine without blanks to show the set of tail aligning arms lifted upwards as they move forward along the drive line;

FIG. 11 shows a rear perspective view of a set of tail alignment arms on the drive line that maintain the bottom rear corner of the box at an angle as the blank moves forward on the drive line;

figure 12 shows the scraper arm of the box forming machine, which folds the glue tab downwards as the blank moves forward on the drive line;

FIG. 13 shows a set of arms of the box forming machine folding the panels of the blanks upwardly to form the front face of the box as the blanks are moved forwardly on the drive line;

FIG. 14 shows the set of arms shown in FIG. 13 folding the front flap of the blank down to form the top surface of the box as the blank moves forward on the drive line;

FIG. 15 shows a leading alignment arm of the box forming machine that maintains the top lead angle of the box at an angle as the blank moves forward on the drive line;

figure 16 shows the upper arms of the box forming machine folding the side flaps of the blank downwardly to form the side surfaces of the box as the blank moves forwardly on the drive line;

figure 17 shows the lower side arms of the box forming machine folding the side flaps of the blank upwardly to form the side surfaces of the box as the blank moves forward on the drive line;

fig. 18 illustrates an example box blank according to one embodiment of this disclosure;

figure 19 shows fingers for folding side flaps of the box blank upwardly;

fig. 20A to 20E show an example sequence of folding steps for folding a box blank into a box; and

fig. 21 shows a top view of an example apparatus for folding a box according to one embodiment of this disclosure.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure relates to packaging machines. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for forming a customized packaging box from a universal fan-folded material. For example, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of forming a box from a blank includes providing a blank on a drive line. The blank may include a plurality of panels including a front guide panel, a middle panel, a bottom panel, and a tail panel. Each panel has one or more side flaps extending therefrom. In addition, each blank may or may not include one or more false indentations extending thereacross. In such embodiments, the method further comprises moving the blank forward on the drive line and folding the side flaps up and down in an alternating manner.

Embodiments of the present disclosure solve one or more of the problems in the art discussed above by providing methods and apparatuses for forming a box from a box template (or "blank") that may or may not have false creases extending across it. The method and apparatus described herein include the steps and means of reinforcing the various panels and flaps of a blank formed from fan-folded material so that false creases do not adversely affect the folding process or structural integrity of the finished box.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary box forming machine and system 100 that includes a feed system 102, a blank cutter 104, a product supply machine 106, and a box forming machine 108. As seen in fig. 1, the feed system 102 includes various stacks of fan folded material 110 that may be fed into the blank cutter 104. As described above, the fan-folded material 110 may include indentations 112 where the material has been folded to form the stack 110 of connected fan-folded sections 114.

The fan-folded material 110 illustrated herein may include corrugated paper, cardboard, or other packaging material, or combinations thereof. While the fan-fold material may comprise corrugated paper/cardboard, one or more other embodiments of the fan-fold stack 110 may comprise materials other than corrugated paper/cardboard that may be used to form packages and boxes. For example, the fan-folded material may comprise various plastics, rubbers, papers, or other pliable materials, or combinations thereof, which are generally known in the art of packaging and box forming.

The fan-folded material 110 is fed into a blank cutter to form a planar box template or "blank," which is shown in more detail in FIG. 3. Turning first to fig. 2, a close-up view of the blank cutter 104, product supply machine 106, and box former 108 is shown. The blank cutter 104 conveys the blanks toward a box former 108, which folds the blanks into boxes for packaging one or more articles. In the exemplary system shown in fig. 2, the product supply 106 may include a conveyor 116 that feeds one or more articles onto the blank formed by the blank cutter 104 before the box former 108 folds the blank into a box.

Additionally, the product supply 106 may include one or more scanners 118 that include one or more size and/or barcode scanners for determining the size of the one or more items being packaged. This size information may then be passed to a blank cutter 104, which may in turn cut the blank to an optimal size, minimizing additional space around the one or more articles in the final box product. Once the one or more articles and blanks are placed on the appropriate areas of the blanks formed in the blank cutter 104, the one or more articles and blanks are transferred to the box former 108. In this way, the box forming machine 108 can form a box around one or more articles placed on the blank.

As described above, the blanks formed in the blank-forming machine 104 may comprise planar sheets of material having a plurality of panels, side flaps, and/or tabs that may be bent at various angles to form packaging boxes of various sizes and shapes. Fig. 3 shows one example of a blank 300 cut from a section of fan-folded material 110 by the blank cutter 104. For reference, the arrow on the right side of fig. 3 indicates the forward direction in which the blank 300 moves through the box former 108. In the example shown, the blank 300 includes a front guide panel a, a middle panel B, a bottom panel C, a tail panel D, and a glue tab panel E. Each panel includes opposing side panels or side flaps a '-E', respectively, which may extend laterally from both sides of the respective panel a-E.

The front guide a is referred to as a "front guide" because it is oriented in a forward direction as the blank 300 moves in a direction through the box former 108. Likewise, the tail panel D refers to the panel that follows the other panels as the blank 300 moves forward through the box former 108. The base C is generally positioned to receive one or more items from the product supply 106. The bottom panel C may form the bottom surface of the finished box.

The blank 300 shown in fig. 3 is intended as a non-limiting example of one blank configuration. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the blank cutter 104 may form blanks of any number of shapes, sizes, and panel configurations to produce boxes containing any number of product shapes and sizes. For example, in one or more embodiments, the blank may have more or fewer panels than those shown in fig. 3. Additionally, in one or more embodiments, the blank may comprise: a panel having only one side panel extending therefrom, a panel having more than two side panels extending therefrom, or a panel having no side panels extending therefrom. In one or more embodiments, the blank may be formed to include no glue tabs or to include two or more glue tabs at various locations on the blank.

However, for purposes of illustrating and describing various embodiments of a box forming machine according to the present disclosure, the blank 300 shown in fig. 3 will be the blank 300 shown in subsequent fig. 4-17. The dashed lines shown on the blank 300 of fig. 3 may only illustrate the boundaries between the panels and/or tabs where the carton former 108 may bend the blank 300 to form a carton. In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the blank cutter 104 may score, depress, crease, or otherwise affect the material at the boundary lines of the blank 300 to form weakened points in the material. In this manner, the blank is more likely to bend at the illustrated boundary line when the side panels a '-E' or panels a-E are processed by the box forming machine 108. As will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, the illustrated blank 300 is configured to form a box of rectangular shape.

Fig. 4-17 illustrate various steps of a method of forming a box in the box forming machine 108 and components of the box forming machine 108 for folding a blank into a box. In these figures, the blank 300 is shown as being advanced through the box forming machine 108 without any articles or products placed thereon for illustrative purposes. However, it is to be understood that one or more articles may be placed on the blank prior to the blank moving through the box former 108, as discussed above, to form a box around the articles. In particular, in the embodiment of the blank 300 shown herein, one or more articles may be placed on the bottom panel C that forms the bottom surface of the box being formed.

Fig. 4 shows the interior portion of the box former 108 with the blank 300 entering the box former 108 from the left. For reference, a direction referred to herein as a "forward" direction is shown from left to right in fig. 4 and subsequent figures. The box former 108 may include a drive line 400 that advances the blank 300 through the box former 108. To this end, the drive line 400 may include one or more drive mechanisms that convey the blanks 300 forward along the drive line 400. One or more embodiments may include different drive mechanisms, such as belts, chains, rolling surfaces, tracks, or the like, or combinations thereof.

The box forming machine 108 may also include one or more arms 402, brackets 404, and side plate fingers 406, all of which will be described in greater detail with reference to subsequent figures. As shown in fig. 4, the blank may enter the box former 108 in a planar fashion as the blank 300 begins to move forward along the drive line 400. For example, as shown in fig. 4, the front guide panel a and associated side panel a' are generally planar as the blank 300 enters the box-forming machine 108.

However, the side panel fingers 406 may push the side panels a '-E' up and down in an alternating manner as the blank 300 moves forward along the drive line 400. For example, as shown in fig. 5, as the blank 300 is moved forward by the drive line 400, the side panel fingers 406 may move up and down such that the side panel a 'is pushed down and the side panel fingers 406 are located below the side panel B'. Subsequently, as the blank 300 moves forward on the drive line 400, the side panel fingers 406 may move upward to lift the side panel B' at an angle relative to the middle panel B of the blank 300, as shown in fig. 6. Once the side panel fingers 406 are moved upward again, as shown in FIG. 6, the side panel fingers 406 may then be positioned over the side panel C'.

As described herein, folding the side flaps up and down in an alternating manner means that alternating side flaps are folded up and down. In other words, one side flap is folded downwardly and an adjacent or subsequent side flap is folded upwardly, and so on. As a result, every other side flap is folded upwardly and every other side flap is folded downwardly.

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the panel from which the side panel extends may be reinforced when the side panel (such as side panel a 'and side panel B') is pushed down or lifted up, respectively, by the side panel fingers 406. For example, since the side plate B 'is lifted upward, the middle plate B from which the side plate B' extends is reinforced. The middle panel B, which is fixedly secured to the side panel B ', is less likely to buckle or otherwise fail at locations other than the boundaries therebetween because the side panel B' extending therefrom is folded and no longer coplanar with the middle panel B. Also, the side panel a' folded/folded downward may reinforce the front guide panel a from which the side panel extends. The same is true for the other panels a-E, because the side panels a '-E' are bent up and down in an alternating manner as the blank 300 moves forward on the drive line 400.

Stiffening the panels a-E as the blank 300 is advanced on the drive line 400 may strengthen the panels a-E and ensure that the panels a-E are bent or folded at the appropriate boundary lines between adjacent panels in the steps of the blank folding method and box forming process described herein that follow. In this manner, reinforcing the individual panels of the blank 300 may reduce the risk of the panels bending or folding along false creases extending across the blank 300 at locations other than the boundaries between the panels.

Fig. 6 shows an example of a false crease 112 extending across a blank 300. As seen in fig. 6, the blank 300 cut from the fan-folded material 110 extends across the fan-fold indentations 112, which form "false indentations" on the blank 300. False indentations 112 of blank 300 may form weakened points in the blank material that may cause panels a-E and side panels a '-E' to erroneously bend or fold during the box forming process. However, since the side panel B 'is lifted upward at a certain angle by the side panel fingers 406, the middle panel B and the side panel B' can be reinforced. That is, due to the angle of the side panels B' relative to the middle panel B, the middle panel B may tend to bend at the appropriate boundary between adjacent panels a and C, rather than along the false indentations 112.

Also, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, the front guide a is reinforced since the side plate a' extending from the front guide is bent downward at a certain angle with respect to the front guide a. The brackets 404 may hold the panels that have been folded down in their flat position as the blank 300 moves forward along the drive line 400. For example, the bracket 404 shown in fig. 6 includes a bottom edge that rests on top of the side panel a' as the blank 300 moves forward along the drive line 400. In one or more embodiments, the support 404 may be stationary. In one or more other embodiments, the bracket 404 may be manipulated temporarily or permanently to adjust to the needs of various blank and panel configurations. As will be apparent in subsequent figures, the bracket 404 may also maintain the position of the side panels a '-E' that have been folded upwardly as the blank 300 moves forwardly on the drive line 400.

Fig. 7 shows the blank 300 further displaced along the drive line 400 from the position shown in fig. 6. Fig. 7 shows the side panel fingers 406 pushing the side panel D' upward to reinforce the rear panel D. As shown, side panel a ' has been folded down, side panel B ' has been folded up, side panel C ' has been folded down, side panel D ' has been folded up, and side panel E ' will be folded down. In this manner, the side panel fingers 406 may fold the side panels a '-E' up and down in an alternating manner while the brackets 404 maintain the position of the side panels a '-E' either up or down (or flat) as the blank 300 moves forward along the drive line 400.

Once the side panels a '-E' have been folded to reinforce the respective panels a-E, the blank 300 may then undergo several folding/folding steps to form a box. As shown in fig. 8, once the front fence a extends completely beyond the front edge of the carriage 404, one or more arms 402 (over which the front fence a and middle panel B have passed) may be lifted upward as the blank 300 moves forward along the drive line 400. When the arms 402 lift the front guide a and the middle panel B as shown, the blank 300 may be bent along the boundary between the middle panel B and the bottom panel C, rather than along the false creases 112 as shown. Thus, the reinforcement of the panels a-E by the side panels a '-E' being folded up and down ensures that any false indentations 112 that may extend transversely across the blank 300 do not adversely affect the folding step of the box-forming machine 108.

Additionally, as shown in fig. 8, the tail plate D and glue tab plate E may be lifted/folded upward by one or more tail alignment arms that may be raised from below the plates D and E to above the drive line 400. The tail panel D and glue tab panel E may be lifted/folded upwardly at the same time, before or immediately after the arm 402 lifts the front guide panel a and middle panel B.

The bracket 404 (which may include an upper portion 404a and a lower portion 404b) may hold the respective side panels a '-E' in place during the folding step shown in fig. 8. In addition, the bracket 404 may hold the bottom panel C down while the other panels A, B, D and E are lifted by the arm 402 and the trailing alignment arm. In this manner, the blank 300 is not lifted off the drive line 400 during the folding step described herein.

Additionally, in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the leading base angle of the bracket 404 may be chamfered or angled. In such an embodiment, the arm 402 may begin to lift the front guide a and the intermediate plate B upward before the front guide a and/or the intermediate plate B move completely beyond the front edge of the bracket 404 via the drive line 400. In such an embodiment, the chamfered angle of the bracket 404 may increase the speed of forming the box from the blank 300 in the box forming machine 108 because the arm may begin lifting/folding the front panel a and the middle panel B earlier than if the front panel a and the middle panel B had to completely pass the bracket 404 before the arm 402 could begin lifting/folding the front panel a and the middle panel B.

The tail alignment arms for lifting the tail plate D and glue tab plate E, as mentioned above with reference to fig. 8, are not shown due to the blank 300 disposed on the drive line 400. However, fig. 9 shows the drive line 400 without the blank 300 thereon for illustrating an embodiment of the trailing alignment arm 900. The tail alignment arm 900 may be flush with or below the drive line 400 before the tail alignment arm 900 lifts the tail plate D and glue tab plate E of the blank 300. Fig. 9 shows the trailing alignment arm 900 initially raised above the drive line 400 to lift the trailing plate D and the glue tab plate E upward. In one or more embodiments, the caudal alignment arms 900 may extend upward until they are upright as shown in FIG. 10.

In one or more embodiments, the cassette forming machine 108 may include only one tail alignment arm 900 or more than two tail alignment arms 900. Further, in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the trailing alignment arm 900 may extend upward at any number of angles depending on the shape of the box being formed and the desired angle of the trailing plate D relative to the base plate C. In this manner, FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a set of tail alignment arms 900 extending upward with blanks 300 on the drive line 400. As shown, the trailing alignment arm 900 extends upwardly above the drive line 400 such that the trailing plate D and the bottom plate C are angled relative to each other along the boundary between the plates D, C. In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the illustrated tail alignment arm 900 may move along the drive line 400 with the blank 300 to maintain the bottom tail corner of the carton as the blank 300 moves forward.

Turning now to fig. 12, the box forming machine 108 may also include a scraper blade (spatula)1200 that extends downward to fold the glue tab panel E downward as the blank moves forward along the drive line 400. The squeegee can fold the glue tab panel E down while the tail panel D is lifted up. In one or more other embodiments, the squeegee 1200 can fold the glue tab plate E downward after the tail plate D is lifted upward. Additionally, the flight 1200 may include a leading edge 1202 that extends laterally across the drive line 400.

As shown in fig. 13, a leading edge 1202 of the squeegee 1200 (which is obscured by the board a being lifted upward by the arm 402) may extend toward and contact the boundary between the leading board a and the middle board B. As the blank 300 moves forward along the drive line 400, the arms 402 may continue to lift upward, as shown in fig. 14, above the boundary between the front guide a and the middle plate B. As the arms 402 rise upward in this manner, the leading edge of the flight 1200 may contact the boundary between the front guide a and the middle plate B, such that the front guide a bends at that boundary along the leading edge 1202 relative to the middle plate B.

It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the folded side panels B' extending from the middle panel B may also contribute to the proper folding position between the front guide panel a and the middle panel B. For example, as shown in fig. 14, the upwardly folded side panel B 'contacts the bottom panel C and/or side panel C' to prevent the middle panel B from further bending when the arm 402 is pushed down onto the front panel a. The same is true for the side plate D' extending from the tail plate D as described above when the tail plate D is pushed upward and the glue tab plate E is pushed downward by the squeegee 1200. Thus, bending the side panels a '-E' as described herein may also serve to ensure proper bending of the blank 300 as the arms 402, tail alignment arms 900 and wiper 1200 push on the respective panels a-E.

As the blank 300 moves forward along the drive line 400, the arm 402 may travel along the front guide a of the blank 300 and press the front guide a down against the glue tab panel E that has been folded down by the flight 1200, as shown in fig. 15. When this occurs, the squeegee 1200 can be withdrawn from between the glue tab plate E and the front guide plate a. In one embodiment, the squeegee 1200 may be withdrawn just before the front guide A contacts the glue tab plate E. In another embodiment, the squeegee 1200 can be withdrawn just after the front guide A contacts the glue tab plate E. In yet another embodiment, the squeegee 1200 may be withdrawn while the front guide A contacts the glue tab plate E.

As shown in fig. 15, once front guide a is folded down by arm 402, front guide a may form the top surface of cassette 1500. In this manner, the middle panel B may form the front surface of the cassette 1500, the bottom panel C may form the bottom surface of the cassette 1500, and the tail panel D may form the rear surface of the cassette 1500.

Additionally, as shown in FIG. 15, the cassette molding machine 108 may include a leading alignment arm 1502. Once the front guide A has been pushed down to form the top surface of the cassette 1500, the leading alignment arm 1502 may extend downward and contact the top and front surfaces of the cassette 1500. Thus, in one embodiment, the leading alignment arm 1502 may include a first member 1502a configured to contact the top surface and a second member 1502b configured to contact the front surface. In the illustrated embodiment showing a rectangular box 1500 formed from the blank 300, the first piece 1502a and the second piece 1502b are disposed at a 90 degree angle with respect to each other. In such an embodiment, the leading alignment arm 1502 may maintain the top leading angle of the cassette 1500 at a 90 degree angle as the blank is moved forward along the drive line 400.

However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the first and second pieces of the leading alignment arm 1502 can be disposed at various other angles relative to each other depending on the shape of the box being formed. For example, in one or more embodiments, the box forming machine 108 may form boxes that are not rectangular in shape. In such embodiments, the leading alignment arm 1502 may have a first section 1502a and a second section 1502b that are angled with respect to each other by more or less than 90 degrees. Further, although the embodiment shown in the figures shows one leading alignment arm 1502, one or more other embodiments of the cassette molding machine 108 can include more than one leading alignment arm 1502.

Also, as discussed above, the tail alignment arm 900 may extend vertically upward from the drive line 400, thereby maintaining the tail bottom angle of the carton 1500 at a 90 degree angle as the blank 300 moves forward along the drive line 400. However, as with the leading alignment arm 1502, the trailing alignment arm 900 can be disposed at an angle other than 90 degrees relative to the drive line 400 to form corners of cassettes other than rectangular shaped cassettes.

The box forming machine 108 may also include upper and lower side arms configured to fold the remaining side panels of the blank 300 to form right and left side surfaces of the box 1500. Fig. 16 and 17 show upper arm 1600 and lower arm 1700, respectively. The upper side arm 1600 may be moved downward while contacting the side panel a 'extending from the front guide panel a, thereby folding the side panel a' downward to form at least a portion of the right surface of the cassette 1500. Also, the lower side arm 1700 of the cassette molding machine 108 may extend upward while contacting the side panel C 'extending from the bottom panel C, thereby folding the side panel C' to form at least a portion of the right surface of the cassette 1500. Likewise, the opposing upper and

lower arms

1600, 1700 can form the left face of the box 1500 by similarly folding the respective side panels to form the left face of the box 1500.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that during the various folding steps described herein, one or more methods may be provided to bond the various panels together while forming the box 1500. For example, in one or more embodiments, the box former 108 may include the step of applying glue or other adhesive material to the glued tab sheet E. Additionally or alternatively, the cassette former 108 may include means for applying glue or other adhesive material to at least a portion of the front guide a. In such an embodiment, the front guide plate a and the glue tab plate E may be bonded to each other while being in contact with each other.

Likewise, one or more embodiments of the box forming machine 104 of the present disclosure may include means for applying glue or other adhesive material to the respective side panels forming the left and right surfaces of the box 1500. In this manner, the carton may remain intact after the panels of the blank are bent/folded into position along the drive lines 400 of the carton former 108, as described herein.

It will be understood that the various components of the cassette molding machine 108 described herein may include components, shapes, and configurations other than those described herein or be disposed at different angles or distances relative to each other while maintaining their proper function as described herein. For example, the arms 402 extending transversely across the drive line 400 are shown as elongated rectangular bars. However, one or more other embodiments of the arm 402 may include one or more rod-shaped rods, flat plates, or irregularly shaped members.

Additionally, for example, although the arms 402 are shown to extend laterally across the drive line 400 in a perpendicular manner, one or more embodiments may include the arms 402 extending across the drive line 400 in a non-perpendicular manner.

Additionally, for example, while the present disclosure shows the side plate fingers 406 to include generally circular rods that taper toward their trailing ends, one or more other embodiments may include other shapes and/or sizes of the side plate fingers 406. For example, in one or more other embodiments, the side panel fingers may comprise rectangular bars, plates, or other irregularly shaped components capable of performing the same functions described herein.

Also, for example, the drive lines, flights, trailing alignment arms, leading alignment arms, and carriages of the present disclosure may include shapes and components other than those described herein or may be positioned at angles other than those shown. These components of other embodiments may perform the same functions as those described herein.

For example, the flight 1200 and leading alignment arm 1502 are shown extending downward from above the drive line 400. However, in one or more embodiments, the flight 1200 and/or the leading alignment arm 1502 can extend from below the drive line 400 or to the side of the drive line 400 to perform its described functions. Additionally, for example, the flight 1200 and/or the leading alignment arm 1502 may extend at an angle relative to the drive line 400, rather than parallel to the longitudinal direction of the drive line 400 as shown herein.

It will also be appreciated that the various steps and folding processes performed by the box forming machine 108 described herein may vary in other embodiments. Also, for illustrative purposes, the blank 300 shown herein may be altered to form a box of various other shapes and sizes. Accordingly, the steps, folding processes, and the order in which the steps are performed may be rearranged, altered, or eliminated in one or more other embodiments of the present disclosure.

For example, in one or more embodiments, the blank 300 may not include the glue tab panel E. In such embodiments, the box forming machine 108 may or may not include a squeegee as described herein. Also, for example, in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the box formed by the sub-box sub-forming machine 108 may be an open box having one or more open surfaces. In such embodiments, the cassette molding machine 108 may or may not include one or more upper and lower side arms to form the left and/or right surfaces of the cassette. Also, in such embodiments, the cassette former 108 may or may not raise the front guide above the top of the one or more articles to form an open top of the cassette 1500.

Attention is now directed to fig. 18-21, which illustrate another carton blank and method and apparatus for folding the carton blank into a carton. For example, fig. 18 shows a blank 1800. Fig. 18 shows a blank 1800 in a top view. The blank 1800 is similar or identical in many respects to the blank 300. For example, blank 1800 has four central panels A, B, C and D. Each of the four central panels is provided to form a wall of the box. In the configuration of fig. 18, panel B forms the lower wall of the box, panels a and C form the upstanding walls of the box, and panel D forms the upper wall of the box. The figure also indicates how the length 1, width b and height h of the box are derived from the dimensions of the blank 1800. This will be apparent to the skilled person and will not be elucidated further.

Each of panels A, B, C and D has two side flaps, designated a ', B', C ', and D', respectively. These side flaps are provided to form the two side walls of the box. In this embodiment, a closing flap a "is further arranged on the panel a in the direction of movement 1802 or in the longitudinal direction of the blank 1800. The closure flap a "is used to connect panel a to panel D when forming the box. This will be further elucidated with reference to the following figures. In fig. 18, the closure flap a "is formed as a flap projecting in the longitudinal direction of the panel a. Alternatively, the closure flap a "may also be provided with corresponding side flaps, so that the closure flap a" extends over the entire width of the blank. Its advantage is no need of discharging waste material.

In fig. 18, a wedge-shaped piece of material has been cut away between adjacent side flaps. In fact, this may be advantageous in some circumstances when folding the side flaps. This is the embodiment shown in fig. 18, as it clearly shows the side flaps. The method according to the present disclosure also allows for the use of a blank 1800 in which adjacent side flaps are separated from each other only by a single cut, wherein the wedge of material has not been cut away. In other words, the side flaps in the blank 1800 may be formed by straight cuts in the transverse direction of the blank 1800, starting from the edges of the blank and extending towards the central axis of the blank over a length equal to the length of the side flaps. The skilled artisan will further appreciate that the side flaps a ', B', C ', and D' can be sized to form, in whole or in part, the side panels. When the side panels have been only partially formed, the side panels will usually have an opening in the centre, and the box is not completely closed. This may be advantageous in some situations. The side flaps may abut or overlap when the side panels have been fully formed. Different combinations thereof are possible.

The blank may be manufactured to form a box having predetermined dimensions. The manufacture of the blank itself may be performed in a number of ways. The blank shown in fig. 18 may be sized for the article to be packaged. How the blank is folded will be described below with reference to the blank shown in fig. 18. However, it will be understood that the blank 1800 and the following discussion are merely exemplary.

Fig. 19 shows the upward folding of the side panels of the blank 1800. This upward folding may occur during forward movement of the blank 1800 in the direction of movement 1802. For this purpose, the blank is positioned on the feed line with its longitudinal direction in the feed direction. Fingers 1804 are provided on both sides of the feed line, which fingers may be positioned relative to the blank via finger arms 1806. By moving the blank in the moving direction 1802, the four side plates D ', C', B 'and a' will pass the fingers 1804. The fingers 1804 may be positioned relative to the side plates. More specifically, the distance between the fingers 1804 and the central axis of the blank 1800 is adjustable so that the fingers 1804 can be positioned in a transverse direction relative to the blank 1800. This enables the fingers 1804 to be positioned at the location of the side plates in the lateral direction. More specifically, the fingers 1804 can be positioned to overlap the side panels and adjacent the central panel.

The fingers 1804 may be oriented such that their distal ends extend in a direction opposite to the direction of movement 1802, and the distal ends point at least slightly downward. Pointing slightly downwards is defined as the finger, at least at the location of the distal end, forming an angle with the horizontal plane of maximally 30 degrees, preferably maximally 20 degrees, more preferably maximally 15 degrees.

A finger arm 1806 is also provided to control the height of the fingers 1804. This is illustrated in fig. 9 by arrow 1808. The height of the fingers 1804 may be controlled in such a manner: when the side flap D 'reaches the distal end of the finger 1804 due to forward movement in the moving direction 1802, the distal end is positioned above the side flap D'. The finger can then be moved 1808 downward so that the distal end of the finger is below side flap C 'when side flap C' reaches finger 1804. As a result, the fingers will engage under side flap C 'and will fold side flap C' upward, as indicated by arrow 1810. The distal ends of the fingers may press against the side flaps D' at this point, which is not a disadvantage. On the basis of this description and in connection with fig. 9, the skilled person will understand that the flap forming and control fingers 1804 in relation to the flap allow the side flaps to be folded upwards or not in an extremely simple manner. Due to the adjustability in the transverse direction, the side flaps can even be folded up or not folded up, independently of the width b of the box. This structure allows to form in a simple manner means for folding boxes having different sizes. This configuration also provides a simple method.

To hold the upwardly folded side flaps in place during forward movement of the blank on the feed line, a side flap bracket 1812 is also provided that is mounted on the side flap bracket arm 1814. The side flap brackets 1812 are not shown in the other figures, but are preferably considered to be present for holding the side flaps in the folded position during further folding steps.

As will be explained further below, the result of the upward folding of the side flaps C 'and a' is that the stiffness of the sections C and a is significantly increased as a result of the upward folding of these sections in order to form the upstanding walls of the box. Because the side flaps C 'and a' are folded upwardly, the central panels C and a are also reinforced because the flexibility of the panels C and a is significantly reduced at the location where the side flaps C 'and a' are joined. The skilled person will appreciate that once the side flaps C 'and a' have been folded upwardly, the stiffness of section C and section a is higher. This allows segments C and a to be folded upwards in a less controlled even rough manner without this compromising the reliability of the folding upwards. Side flap B ' may also optionally be at least partially folded upwardly after side flaps C ' and a ' have been folded upwardly. Folding side flap B 'upwardly, for example, about 35 degrees, prevents undesired unfolding of side flaps C' and a ', i.e., partially upwardly folded side flap B' prevents such undesired unfolding.

The skilled person will understand that when the sheet material is treated for folding, undesired creases are easily created when the sheet material is not sufficiently supported to a sufficient degree during the folding movement. This is avoided by first folding side flaps C 'and a' upwardly. As long as the side flaps a 'and C' are angled with respect to the respective central panels a and C, it is nearly impossible to form undesirable creases in sections a and C. This is particularly advantageous when folding boxes having different sizes in one device. This is because the box can be folded more easily and the method of folding is more robust while allowing the sections a and C to be manipulated more coarsely and/or in a less controlled manner. This makes it possible to provide arms or pressing or folding elements that do not have to support the entire panel a and/or C during the upward folding of the respective panel.

Fig. 20A shows a blank 1800. In the case of fig. 20A, one or more articles 1816 have been placed on panel B of blank 1800. Side flaps C 'and a' have been folded further upward. In the case of fig. 20A, the central panel A, B, C, D has not yet been folded upward, but is still positioned on the feed line (not shown in fig. 20). The direction of movement is shown by arrow 1802 in fig. 20A. As the blank 1800 is moved in the direction of movement 1802, glue 1818 is applied to the panel D at the leading end of the blank 1800 via a glue gun 1820. Fig. 20A also shows an arm 1822 that, in an initial stage of the method, extends below the feed line and thus below the blank 1800.

Fig. 20B shows the next step, where arm 1822 is moved upward from a position below the feed line. This upward movement of arm 1822 is shown by arrow 1824. During the upward movement 1824 of the arm 1822, the blank 1800 may still advance in the direction of movement 1802. On the rear side, the rear wall is folded upward via actuator 1824. The upward folding of the back wall is shown by arrow 1828. The actuator 1826 may be implemented in different ways. Because the side flaps a 'and C' have been folded upward, sections a and C of the blank are solid (stiff) and can be folded upward in a simple manner by the arms 1822 and the actuators 1826. Depending on the size of the blank, undesired folding of the first segment D may occur due to the upward movement 1824 of the arm 1822. Due to the direction of movement 1802 and due to gravity, the fold will generally point forward (clockwise in fig. 20B) so that the arm 1822 is always located below segment D. Due to the upward movement of the arms, the arms will still be able to move the D section upward even if the D section has an undesirable forward fold. Also due to this uncontrolled movement, the applied glue 1818 will not be able to touch the arm 1822 or another portion of the blank 1800.

The skilled person will appreciate that the exact order of application of glue, upward folding of side flaps a 'and C' and placement of articles on the blank may vary between different embodiments.

Fig. 20C shows the next stage of folding. The back panel a of the blank 1800 has been folded fully up to form the back wall of the box. The actuator 1826 follows the advancing movement 1802 of the blank to keep the back wall a correctly positioned. When the rear wall a is folded up, the positioning fingers 1830 are moved forward and downward from above (as indicated by arrow 1832) up to the upper side of the box. With this forward and downward movement 1832, the locating finger 1830 will fold the closure flap a "forward, forming an overlap as described above.

The locating fingers 1830 also have the function of gripping the first segment D. The first section D is folded over the article by the arm 1822, thereby forming the upper side of the box. As mentioned above, the upper section D may have undesired creases and the folding movement of this front section D is not fully controlled. Depending on the size of the box, the strength of the sheet and the speed of folding, the front section D will descend more or less quickly downwards as an upper wall of the box, optionally under the considerable force of the arms 1822. This drop is shown by arrow 1834. The descent 1834 of the first segment D is stopped by the positioning finger 1830. When there is a false crimp in the first segment D, the first segment D may sharply drop early. It would therefore be advantageous to have the locating fingers 1830 extend to a position substantially at the front of the box so that the first segment D can be grasped correctly in all circumstances. The skilled artisan will appreciate that the shape of the locating fingers 1830 is not critical to the application of the principles disclosed herein. The most important consideration in forming the fingers is the complementarity (compliance) in the transverse direction with the applied glue. The fingers and glue will preferably not overlap as seen in the transverse direction. The skilled person will thus understand that two or more fingers may also be formed, wherein glue is applied between the fingers as seen in the transverse direction. This prevents the glue 1818 on the first section D from making undesired contact, making contact at an incorrect location, or making premature contact with the article and/or with the closure flap a ". To prevent the glue 1818 from contacting the locating fingers 1830, the locating fingers 1830 may be in a narrow form as seen in the transverse direction and may be placed centrally with respect to the cartridge, while the glue may be applied off-center, as seen in the transverse direction, and thus not centrally applied.

Fig. 20D shows the next stage in the method for folding. In fig. 20D, back wall a has been folded upward, and back wall a is held in place by actuator 1826. At this point, the front wall C has also been folded upward by the movement of the arm 1822. The anterior wall C is preferably held in place by another actuator 1836. The upward front wall formed by the C-section of the blank may be best held in place by the actuator 1836. This is shown by arrow 1838. The actuator 1836 may be provided with fingers (not shown) at positions on the upper side of the box that form an angle between the side and upper plates so that they are at right angles. Similar fingers may be provided on the actuator 1826 so that the

actuators

1826 and 1836 can hold the cassette vertically and at right angles. By positioning the front wall C and the rear wall a, the upper wall D is also correctly positioned with respect to the closure flap a ". This allows the arm 1822 to press the front section D against the closure flap a "so that the glue 1818 is located between the front and rear sections D, a of the blank 1800. Here the detent fingers 1830 may be retracted. Retraction can be performed by actively moving the locating finger 1830 backwards, as indicated by arrow 1840. Alternatively and/or additionally, the positioning fingers 1830 may be retracted in a relative sense by an advancing movement of the cartridge in the moving direction 1802. After performing the press 1842, a box is formed having an underside formed from section B of the blank, a front wall formed from section C of the blank, a rear wall formed from section a of the blank, and an upper wall formed from section D of the blank. The side walls have been partially formed by upwardly folded side flaps a 'and C'.

In FIG. 20E, the box is completed by the downward fold 1844 of side flap D 'and the upward fold 1846 of side flap B'. Glue may be provided on one of the side flaps to allow the side flap B 'to be secured to the side flap D'. Alternatively, side flaps B 'and D' may be glued to side flaps A 'and C' that have been folded upwardly. The skilled artisan will appreciate that the order of folding the side flaps B 'and D' upwardly may be varied without significantly affecting the folding principle described above. Fig. 20E further illustrates how the arm 1822 can ultimately press 1842 the upper side D of the box with the closure flap a ". Fig. 20E also shows the positioning fingers having been retracted.

Figure 21 shows a top view of an apparatus for folding a box from a blank. The apparatus is provided for packaging different articles having different sizes in a box made to a custom size. For this purpose, the device has a supply section 1900 for supplying blanks 1800. The blanks are located on the feed line 1902 at the location of the supply section with the side panels lying laterally of the feed line 1902. The feed line 1902 is arranged to advance the blank in a moving direction 1802. The device is also provided with a positioning section 1904. In positioning section 1904, article 1816 is correctly positioned on blank 1800. In practice, a supply 1906 for articles is provided. The supply 1906 may be operably linked to the supply section 1900 such that the shape and size of the blanks 1800 supplied via the supply section 1900 correspond to the shape and size of the articles 1816, 1816' supplied via the supply. More particularly, the supplied successive articles 1816 and 1816' are of different sizes, and the corresponding blanks 1800 supplied via the supply section 1900 are also of corresponding different sizes.

At the location of the positioning segments 1904, the article 1816 is positioned on the central panel B of the blank 1800. The skilled person will understand based on the above explanation that the article may also be positioned on the central panel C. In some operations, for example, the movement of the arm 1822 and the positioning fingers 1804 will have to be performed differently in operation. The movement of the arms 1822 may be somewhat more complicated due to the direction of movement of the blank 1800, but the skilled person will appreciate that such a device may be constructed based on the same operating principle. The option is then to attach the closure flap a "to the outside of the box or to move the closure flap lid to panel D.

When the closure flap a "is formed at the location of the panel D, the method can be performed as described above and as shown. The closure flap D "will then overlap the panel a at the location of the upstanding side wall of the box. The arm 1822 may then be further configured to press the closure flap and panel a against the sidewall.

After positioning the article 1816 on the blank 1800, the blank 1800 is advanced through the feed line 1902 to the first folded section 1908. At the location of the first fold section 1908, the fingers 1804, which are explained above with reference to fig. 19, are arranged to fold side flaps, which are positioned diagonally with respect to the article 1816, upward. Fig. 21 shows how two fingers 1804 are provided on both sides of the blank to fold the side flaps upward on both sides of the feed line 1902. The skilled person will appreciate that depending on the width of the blank (which depends on the size of the article 1806), the fingers 1804 may be moved closer to or further from the feed line 1902 by means of the finger arms 1806.

In the embodiment of fig. 21, the first folding section further comprises a glue gun 1820 for applying glue to the front section of the blank 1800. It will be apparent that the glue gun 1820 may also be disposed at a different location on the feed line.

Fig. 21 also shows a second folded section 1910 and a third folded section 1912. For simplicity in explaining the operation of the device, the second and third folded

sections

1910, 1912 are shown as different parts of the device. In practice, these segments or

sections

1910 and 1912 may be integrally formed or joined to each other. In addition, the

other sections

1900 and 1904 may also be integrally formed or joined to each other. At the location of the second folded section 1910, the back wall is folded upwards. The locating fingers 1830 will also typically be provided at the location of this folded section 1910. Fig. 21 shows the locating fingers being narrow and a glue gun 1820 is provided to apply glue eccentrically, while the locating fingers 1830 extend centrally.

In the third folded section 1912, an arm 1822 is provided that moves from a position below the feed line 1902 to a position above the cassette as explained above with reference to fig. 20. Due to this movement and due to the forward movement of the blank in the direction of movement, the arm can in a simple manner perform the functions described above with reference to fig. 20. The positioning fingers 1830 may be mounted on an actuator that allows the positioning fingers 1830 to move in a moving direction 1802. The locating fingers 1830 may also be movable in height. The arm 1822 may be provided by two portions disposed on either side of the feed line. This allows the arm to be moved to a position below the feed line in a simple manner without the arm colliding with the feed line 1902.

The device may comprise a further folding section (not shown) for folding the side flaps B 'and D' upwards and downwards. The side flaps B 'and D' may here be provided with glue to connect them to each other or to connect them to the side flaps a 'and/or C'. The device may also comprise a further packaging section, for example for fastening or securing one or more straps around the box. The apparatus may further comprise a section for labelling the box. Alternatively, blanks that have been labeled may be supplied based on an operational link between supply 1900 and supply 1906.

The skilled artisan will appreciate that varying the order, number, and type of folding steps and processes described herein may allow a manufacturer and/or distributor to form any number of box shapes and sizes. The shape and size of these various boxes can be varied, designed and customized to accommodate any number of product shapes and sizes to be packaged within the box. Accordingly, the box forming machine of the present disclosure is configured to form a customized box suitable for a product without wasting box material or adding packaging material. Additionally, the box forming machine of the present disclosure is configured to form boxes in which fan-fold indentations (or "false indentations") do not adversely affect the box forming steps and/or processes described herein. As such, the methods, processes, and apparatus described herein can successfully form customizable boxes from universal fan-folded material with fan-folded impressions.

Embodiments may take many forms or may include many different combinations of the features described herein, in accordance with the disclosure herein. As an example, a method of forming a box from a blank may comprise:

providing a blank on a drive line, the blank comprising:

a plurality of plates including a front guide plate, a middle plate, a bottom plate, and a tail plate; and

a plurality of side plates extending transversely to the drive line, each plate being connected to two opposite side plates;

glue the lug, connect with lateral plate or not with lateral plate;

positioning one or more items on a base plate;

moving the blank forward on a drive line;

folding the side panels up and down in an alternating manner as the blank moves forward on the drive line such that the panel from which each folded side panel extends is reinforced; and

the side panels, which have been folded upwards, are held in place while the blank is moved forward on the drive line.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises lifting the tail panel upward to form a rear surface of the box. In some embodiments, the method further comprises: the tail panel is held at a first angle relative to the bottom panel as the blank is moved forward on the drive line to hold the bottom tail corner of the box.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

lifting the front and intermediate panels respectively above the one or more articles as the blank moves forward on the drive line to form the top and front surfaces of the box such that the front panel contacts the glue tab extending from the rear panel; and

the leading panel is maintained at a second angle relative to the intermediate panel as the blank moves forward on the drive line to maintain the top leading angle of the box.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises: the bottom panel is held down while the front and middle panels are folded up over the one or more articles. Similarly, in some embodiments, the method further comprises holding the bottom panel down while lifting the tail panel to form the back surface of the box.

In some embodiments, a horizontally extending scraper folds the glue tab downward, and a leading edge of the scraper engages a boundary between the front guide panel and the middle panel such that the front guide panel bends relative to the middle panel at the boundary when the front guide panel and the middle panel are lifted above the one or more articles.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises: the side panels are folded to form the left and right faces of the box as the blank is moved forward on the drive line. In some embodiments, the side panels that have been folded up are held in place with brackets. In some embodiments, the bottom leading corner of the bracket is chamfered. In some embodiments, the front and middle panels begin to be lifted above the one or more articles before the middle panel completely passes the leading edge of the carriage as the blank moves forward on the drive line. In some embodiments, the carriage is stationary as the blank moves forward on the drive line.

In some embodiments, the side panels are folded up and down in an alternating fashion by one or more fingers that move up and down as the blank moves forward on the drive line. In some embodiments, the side panels extending from the bottom panel are folded downwardly to reinforce the bottom panel.

In another embodiment, a method of forming a box from fan-folded material comprises:

forming a blank from a fan-folded material, the fan-folded material comprising fan-folded indentations, the blank comprising at least one false indentation extending transversely across the blank;

moving a blank longitudinally forward along a drive line, the blank comprising:

glue the lug, connect with lateral plate or not with lateral plate;

the side panels, which have been folded upwards, are held in place as the blank moves forward on the drive line.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises: the front and middle panels are folded upwardly over the bottom panel to form the top and front surfaces of the box, respectively. In some embodiments, the method further comprises folding the tail panel upward and holding the tail panel at an angle relative to the bottom panel to form a tail bottom corner of the box. In some embodiments, the method further comprises pushing the glue tab extending from the tail panel downward with a scraper, wherein the scraper comprises a leading edge that contacts a boundary between the front guide panel and the middle panel when the middle panel and the front guide panel are folded upward over the bottom panel to form the front surface and the top surface of the box, respectively.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises: after the side panels have been folded up and down in an alternating manner, the side panels are held in place while the blank is moved forward on the drive line. In some embodiments, the method further comprises: the bottom panel is held down while the front, middle and rear panels are folded to form the top, front and rear surfaces of the box, respectively.

In another embodiment, a cassette molding machine includes:

a drive line having a longitudinal direction and a drive mechanism for longitudinally advancing the blanks on the drive line;

one or more fingers disposed proximate the drive line, the one or more fingers configured to move up and down to bend the side panels of the blank up and down in an alternating manner;

one or more brackets positioned forward from the one or more fingers, the one or more brackets positioned such that a side panel of the blank is held in place by the one or more brackets as the blank moves forward on the drive line.

In some embodiments, the cassette forming machine further comprises one or more tail alignment arms disposed on the drive line. In some embodiments, the one or more tail aligning arms have a down position and a raised position, wherein the one or more tail aligning arms in the raised position maintain the angle of the bottom tail corner of the box made from the blank as the blank moves forward on the drive line.

In some embodiments, the cassette forming machine further comprises one or more leading alignment arms disposed at least partially above the drive line. In some embodiments, the one or more leading registration arms are configured to maintain the angle of the top leading corner of the box formed by the blanks as the blanks are moved forward on the drive line.

In some embodiments, the box forming machine further comprises a scraper having a leading edge facing forward in the longitudinal direction of the drive line. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the flight includes a surface parallel to the drive line. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the flight is disposed above the drive line.

In some embodiments, the one or more fingers each comprise an elongate member that tapers towards its trailing end. In some embodiments, the elongate member of each of the one or more fingers is disposed parallel to the drive line in a longitudinal direction of the drive line.

In another embodiment, a method for folding a box from a blank is provided. The method is performed on a feed line having a forward direction of movement. The method comprises the following steps:

feeding the blanks on a feed line so that side panels of the blanks extend transversely to the feed line;

positioning one or more articles on the intermediate panel of the blank;

advancing the blank along with the one or more articles along a feed line;

folding up the side panels placed along the diagonal of the middle panel;

folding the rear panel upwardly and holding it in place as the rear wall of the box; and

during forward movement of the blank, the front panel is folded upwardly by moving the arm upwardly from a first position below the feed line to a second position above the box so that the box advances below the upwardly moving arm to form the front and upper walls of the box with the front panel.

In some embodiments, the folding up of the side panels is performed by positioning the fingers under the side panels during forward movement of the blank on the feed line.

In some embodiments, the blank has at least four central panels extending successively in the direction of movement of the feed line, wherein the intermediate panel is formed by a third panel of the at least four central panels.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

applying glue to a glue zone of at least one of the two superposed regions of the blank while the box is being formed;

after the box has been at least partially formed, the blank is pressed at the location of the glue joint.

In some embodiments, prior to pressing, the locating fingers are placed between the regions, adjacent to the glue area, to prevent premature contact between the regions, after which the regions are positioned relative to each other to thereby at least partially form the cassette, after which the locating fingers are removed from between the regions.

In some embodiments, the locating fingers extend above the cassette in the direction of movement such that when the arm folds the front panel upward, the upper wall of the cassette becomes seated on the locating fingers.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises folding down a side panel connected to the upper wall and folding up a side panel connected to the lower wall such that the side panels described later form the side walls of the box.

In another embodiment, an apparatus for folding a box from a blank is provided. The device comprises:

a feed line having a forward moving direction;

a supply section for supplying blanks on a feed line such that side panels of the blanks extend transversely to the feed line;

a positioning section for positioning one or more articles on the intermediate panel of the blank;

a feeding section for advancing the blank together with the one or more articles along a feed line;

a first folding section for folding up the side panels placed along a diagonal of the middle panel;

a second folding section for folding the rear panel upwardly and holding it in place as a rear wall of the box; and

a third folding section for folding the front panel upwardly by moving the arm upwardly from a first position below the feed line to a second position above the cassette so that the cassette is located below the upwardly moved arm, thereby forming the front and upper walls of the cassette from the front panel.

In some embodiments, the first folding section comprises fingers movable in a transverse direction relative to the feed line to adjust the distance between opposing fingers to the width of the blank, and wherein the fingers extend in a direction opposite to the direction of movement and have distal ends that can be moved up and down to grip under said side panels lying along the diagonals of the intermediate panel.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises:

a glue gun for applying glue to a glue area in at least one of the two superposed areas of the blank while the box is being formed;

a pressing element for pressing the blank at the location of the gluing zone after at least partially forming the packet.

In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises a positioning finger located above the feed line, the positioning finger being movable in a direction of movement to extend between the zones to prevent premature contact between the zones, and thereafter positioning the zones relative to each other to thereby at least partially form the cassette, after which the positioning finger is removable from between the zones.

In some embodiments, the pressing element is formed by an arm which is also arranged to move in the direction of movement during pressing of the blank at the location of the gluing zone.

In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: a fourth folding section for folding the side panels connected to the upper wall downwards and the side panels connected to the lower wall upwards, so that the side panels described later form the side walls of the box.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

Claims

1. A method of forming a box from a blank, the method comprising:

providing a blank on a drive line, the blank comprising:

a plurality of side plates extending transversely to the drive line, each plate being connected to two opposing side plates;

glue the lug, connect with lateral plate or not with lateral plate;

positioning one or more items on the base plate;

moving the billet forward on the drive line;

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising lifting the tail panel upward to form a rear surface of the box.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

maintaining the tail panel at a first angle relative to the bottom panel to maintain a bottom tail corner of the box as the blank moves forward on the drive line.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

lifting the front guide and the intermediate panel above the one or more articles to form a top surface and a front surface of the box, respectively, such that the front guide contacts glue tabs extending from the tail panel as the blank moves forward on the drive line; and

maintaining the leading panel at a second angle relative to the intermediate panel to maintain a top leading angle of the box as the blank moves forward on the drive line.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising: holding the bottom panel down while folding the front guide panel and the middle panel up over the one or more articles.

6. The method of claim 4 or 5, further comprising: holding the bottom panel down while lifting the tail panel to form the rear surface of the box.

7. The method of any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein a horizontally extending scraper folds the glue tab downward and a leading edge of the scraper engages a boundary between the front guide and the middle panel such that the front guide bends relative to the middle panel at the boundary when the front guide and the middle panel are raised above the one or more articles.

8. The method of any of claims 4 to 7, further comprising: folding the side panels to form left and right faces of the box as the blank moves forward on the drive line.

9. A method according to any one of claims 4 to 8 wherein the side panels which have been folded upwardly are held in place by brackets.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a bottom lead angle of the stent is chamfered.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the front guide and the middle panel begin to be raised above the one or more articles before the middle panel completely passes the leading edge of the rack as the blank moves forward on the drive line.

12. The method of any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the carriage is stationary while the billet is moving forward on the drive line.

13. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the side panels are folded up and down in an alternating manner by one or more fingers moving up and down as the blank moves forward on the drive line.

14. The method of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the side panels extending from the bottom panel are folded down to reinforce the bottom panel.

15. A method of forming a box from fan-folded material, the method comprising:

forming a blank from a fan-folded material comprising fan-folded indentations, the blank comprising at least one false indentation extending transversely across the blank;

moving the blank longitudinally forward along a drive line, the blank comprising:

glue the lug, connect with said side plate or not with said side plate;

the side panels, which have been folded upwards, are held in place while the blank is moving forward on the drive line.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: folding the front guide and the middle panel upwardly over the bottom panel to form a top surface and a front surface of the box, respectively.

17. The method of claim 15 or 16, further comprising: folding the tail panel upward and maintaining the tail panel at an angle relative to the bottom panel to form a bottom tail corner of the box.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: pushing down a glue tab extending from the tail panel with a scraper, wherein the scraper comprises a leading edge that contacts a boundary between the front guide panel and the middle panel when the middle panel and the leading panel are folded up over the bottom panel to form a front surface and a top surface of the box, respectively.

19. The method of any of claims 15 to 18, further comprising: after the side panels have been folded up and down in an alternating manner, the side panels are held in place while the blank is moved forward on the drive line.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: holding the bottom panel down while the front guide panel, the middle panel and the tail panel are folded to form a top surface, a front surface and a back surface of the box, respectively.

21. A box forming machine comprising:

a drive line having a longitudinal direction and a drive mechanism that conveys blanks longitudinally forward on the drive line;

one or more fingers disposed proximate the drive line, the one or more fingers configured to move up and down to bend side panels of the blank up and down in an alternating manner;

one or more brackets positioned forward from the one or more fingers, the one or more brackets positioned such that the side panels of the blank are held in place by the one or more brackets as the blank moves forward on the drive line.

22. A cassette forming machine as defined in claim 21, further comprising one or more tail alignment arms disposed on the drive line.

23. A carton forming machine as in claim 22 wherein the one or more tail aligning arms have a down position and a raised position wherein the one or more tail aligning arms in the raised position maintain the angle of the bottom tail corner of a carton made from the blank as the blank is moved forward on the drive line.

24. A cassette molding machine as defined in any one of claims 21 to 23 further comprising one or more leading alignment arms disposed at least partially above the drive line.

25. A box forming machine as claimed in claim 24 wherein the one or more leading aligning arms are configured to maintain the angle of the top leading angle of a box formed by the blank as the blank moves forward on the drive line.

26. A cassette molding machine as defined in any one of claims 21 to 25, further comprising a scraper having a leading edge facing forward in the longitudinal direction of the drive line.

27. A cassette molding machine as defined in claim 26 wherein at least a portion of the paddle includes a surface parallel to the drive line.

28. A cassette molding machine as defined in claim 26 or 27 wherein at least a portion of the paddle is disposed above the drive line.

29. A cassette forming machine as claimed in any one of claims 21 to 28 wherein said one or more fingers each comprise an elongate member tapering towards a trailing end thereof.

30. A cassette forming machine as defined in claim 29 wherein the elongate member of each of the one or more fingers is disposed parallel to the drive line in the longitudinal direction of the drive line.

31. A method for folding a box from a blank, wherein the method is performed on a feed line having an advancing movement direction, the method comprising:

feeding the blanks on the feed line such that side panels of the blanks extend transversely to the feed line;

positioning one or more articles on the intermediate panel of the blank;

advancing the blank along with the one or more articles along the feed line;

folding up side panels placed along a diagonal of the middle panel;

folding the panel upwardly and holding it in place as a rear wall of the box; and

during forward movement of the blank, folding a front panel upwardly by moving an arm upwardly from a first position below the feed line to a second position above the box so that the box advances below the upwardly moving arm to form a front wall and an upper wall of the box with the front panel.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the upward folding of the side panel is performed by positioning a finger below the side panel during the forward movement of the blank on the feed line.

33. Method according to claim 31 or 32, wherein the blank has at least four central panels extending successively in the direction of movement of the feed line, wherein the intermediate panel is formed by a third panel of the at least four central panels.

34. The method of any of claims 31 to 33, wherein the method further comprises:

applying glue to a glue area in at least one of the two superposed areas of the blank while the box is being formed; and

pressing the blank at the location of the glue area after the box has been at least partially formed.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein prior to said pressing, positioning fingers are placed between said regions adjacent to said glue areas to prevent premature contact between said regions, followed by positioning said regions relative to each other to thereby at least partially form said cassette, followed by removing said positioning fingers from between said regions.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the locating fingers extend above the box in the direction of movement such that the upper walls of the box rest on the locating fingers when the arms fold the front panel upward.

37. The method of any of claims 31 to 36, further comprising: the side panels connected to the upper wall are folded down and the side panels connected to the lower wall are folded up so that the side panels described later form the side walls of the box.

38. An apparatus for folding a box from a blank, comprising:

a feed line having a forward moving direction;

a supply section for supplying blanks on the feed line such that side panels of the blanks extend transversely to the feed line;

a feeding section for advancing the blank along with the one or more articles along the feed line;

a third folding section for folding the front panel upwardly by moving the arm upwardly from a first position below the feed line to a second position above the cassette so that the cassette is located below the upwardly moving arm, thereby forming the front and upper walls of the cassette with the front panel.

39. The apparatus according to claim 38 wherein the first folding section comprises fingers movable in the transverse direction relative to the feed line to adjust a distance between opposing fingers to a width of the blank, and wherein the fingers extend in a direction opposite the direction of movement and have distal ends movable up and down to grip under the side panels lying along diagonals of the middle panel.

40. The apparatus of claim 38 or 39, wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a glue gun for applying glue to a glue area in at least one of two areas of the blank while the box is being formed; and

a pressing element for pressing the blank at the location of the glue area after the box has been at least partially formed.

41. A device according to claim 40, wherein the device comprises a locating finger located above the feed line, the locating finger being movable in the direction of movement to extend between the regions to prevent premature contact between the regions, the regions then being located relative to one another to thereby at least partially form the cassette, the locating finger then being removable from between the regions.

42. Apparatus according to claim 40 or 41, wherein the pressing element is formed by the arm, which arm is further arranged to move in the direction of movement during pressing of the blank at the location of the glue area.

43. The apparatus of any one of claims 38 to 42, wherein the apparatus further comprises: a fourth folding section for folding down the side panels connected to the upper wall and folding up the side panels connected to the lower wall so that the side panels described later form the side walls of the box.